OTTAWA — Prime Minister Stephen Harper officially named Michael Ferguson as Canada’s new auditor general on Friday, but the government’s appointment of someone who doesn’t speak French has prompted a former deputy minister who works with the AG’s office to resign in protest.

The 10-year appointment, which takes effect Nov. 28, effectively ignores the government’s own job posting for a bilingual candidate, which has sparked protest from opposition parties and now a resignation from a veteran public servant who worked alongside the auditor general.

Michel Dorais, one of two independent members of the federal auditor general’s internal audit committee, quit earlier Friday over the government’s decision to appoint the unilingual Ferguson as Canada’s top spending watchdog.

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“While I have no doubt that (Ferguson’s) professional credentials are outstanding. I think that the nomination of an unilingual Canadian to this highly visible position is a serious mistake,” Dorais says in his resignation letter, which was held up by Liberal MP Denis Coderre in the House of Commons on Friday.

“We all understood that in order to assume a leadership position in the federal government one had to be able to understand what was going on in both linguistic communities across the country,” he adds in the letter.

“I sincerely find it difficult to continue to serve as an independent member of your audit committee while accepting that the incoming Auditor General does not meet an essential requirement for the position.

“The Conservatives used their majority in the Commons and Senate on Thursday to approve the unilingual Ferguson for the $334,500-a-year job — even though the government’s own job posting said: “proficiency in both official languages is essential.”

On Friday, a day after the Liberal caucus walked out of both chambers during the votes on Ferguson’s appointment, Coderre attacked the government for steamrollering ahead with the decision.

“No more excuses. What must be done to make the prime minister come to his senses and launch a new selection process? Canadians want that. What is he going to do about it?” Coderre said in question period.

Senior Conservative cabinet minister John Baird said the government is trying to offer equal opportunity to all Canadians and noted Ferguson is committed to learning French.

“We have a new auditor general, someone who embraces our official languages, someone who has committed to learning French. That is tremendously important,” Baird replied.

“Eighty per cent of Canadians do not have bilingual qualifications. There is a role for them. This individual has committed to learn French.”

Ferguson, a former New Brunswick auditor general and outgoing deputy minister of finance in the province, has said his goal is to be proficient in French within a year. However, he won’t commit to resigning the post if he doesn’t meet that goal.

Also on Friday, the office of the official languages commissioner announced it has decided to investigate the NDP’s complaint about Ferguson’s appointment.

The NDP asked languages commissioner Graham Fraser to investigate whether having a unilingual officer of Parliament — when the job posting called for a bilingual candidate — breaks the Official Languages Act, which guarantees federal employees in the office can work in English or French.

Fraser has said that mastery of both official languages is “a key leadership competency” for senior bureaucrats.